Technical Abstract:
Transformation of wheat is proving to be an effective method of introducing new sources of scab resistance into existing germplasm. However, transformation is a time-consuming process and transgenic lines require at least three greenhouse screens before it is prudent to field test the lines. Thus, the time taken to develop, test, and move a transgenic line into a breeding program is several years. The cultivar Apogee is a fast-growing dwarf wheat. It flowers significantly faster than Bobwhite, the current cultivar of choice for wheat transformation. We have tested the regenerability of Apogee and have produced transgenic plants with the pAHC25 construct, carrying the uidA and bar genes under the control of the maize ubiquitin promoter. Moreover, we have shown that Apogee is susceptible to Fusarium Head Blight. Histochemical analyses of the expression of the uidA gene throughout our transgenic plants are presented along with data relating to the growth of Apogee in growth chambers and the greenhouse. Our data show that Apogee is a model cultivar for developing and testing transgenic wheat for scab resistance.